(ATTN: ADDS PM's comment in 4th para) SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has decided to scrap its plan to resume whaling for scientific research, a senior government official said Tuesday, after the move sparked international criticism.

Earlier this month, South Korea notified the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that it planned to lift an all-out whaling ban and start catching the animal for scientific purposes only in immediate waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.